Elijah s



(No Model.)

B. S. OOON.

Heel Skate Fastener.

No. 233,204. Patented Oct. 12,1880.

mum-m WITNESSES I I INVENTOB m y WM 5197M Mr BY .MWM

ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ELIJAH S. OOON, OF WATERTOWN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO ARTHUR L. GOON, OFSAME PLACE.

HEEL SKATE-FASTEN ER.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 233,204, dated October12, 1880.

Application filed March 26, 1880. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern Be it known that 1, ELIJAH S. OooN, ofWatertown, in the county of Jefferson and State of New York, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Heel Skate Fasteners, of

which the following is a specification.

My invention consists, essentially, in a plate or plug of circular orcylindrical form, and in certain details relating to the same, and tode- IO vices connected therewith, whereby several advantages areobtained, as hereinafter particularly described and set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a face view of a heel with myimproved fastener in place therein. Fig. 2 is a central vertical sectionof the same, taken in the line a; 00 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a detailsectional enlarged View of the fastener separate from the heel.

Similar letters of reference indicate corre- 2o spending parts.

A represents a heel of a boot or shoe, in the center of which a hole isbored with a common anger or bit.

B is a cylindrical hollow plug or thimble,

with a screw-thread on its outer surface. The plug or thimble is open atthe inner end, and at the outer end is provided with a slot, 1), forengagement with the heel-key of a skate provided with a heel key or nib.

G is a circular plate fitting nicely, but not tightly, in the thimble B,and held closely against the head or slotted end thereof by a spring,which may be of any suitable description, but is here shown as acoiled-wire spring, 3 5 D, with its inner end bearing against the bottomof the hole in the heel and its outer end bearing against the inner sideof the plate 0, said plate being formed with a shank, 0, surrounded bythe outer end of the spring.

The plug or thimble B is screwed into the hole in the heel A with theplate 0 and spring D in position therein, as shown, until the outer endor head of the thimble is flush with the face of the heel. l

The springD holds the plate Ofirmly against the inner surface of thehead of the thimble, and prevents the entrance of dirt into the interiorof the thimble.

When the skate is to be attached, if there 50 should be any dirtcollected in the slot b, it

can be easily removed, so as to enable the heelkey of the skate toreadily engage with the fastener, as illustrated at E in dotted lines inFig. 1. Said heel-key E pushes in the plate (3 snflieiently far to allowthe key to be turned transversely of the slot, and then the plate G ispressed by the spring D firmly against the key, so as to hold it steadyand prevent any motion thereof.

When the skate is turned in order to detach it, the pressure of thespring D and plate 0 against the heel-key E assists in the removal ofthe skate, and also forces out any dirt which may have found its wayinto the slot, and then said plate 0 lies closely against the head ofthe thimble so as to cover the slot 12 and prevent the entrance of dirt.

This fastener possesses several advantages over one that is permanentlyattached to the heel. Being cylindrical, it is more easily connected,because the hole for its reception can be made with a common auger orhit without the necessity for lasting the boot or shoe or using a knifeor chisel. Being screw-threaded it can be readily screwed into placewith a common screwdriver. Being screw-threaded also enables it to bescrewed either in or out, in order to make it fit the heel-key withaccuracy, and thereby avoid the difficulties experienced in consequenceof the variations in size of heel- .80 key which sometimes exist. Beingscrewthreaded further enables it to be screwed in beyond the surface ofthe heel, so as to prevent it from wearing out by the ordinary wearingof the shoe when not skating. 8

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is-

1. As an improved article of manufacture,

a skate-fastener constructed substantially as 0 hereindescribed,consistin g of a screw-threaded hollow plug or thimble, adirt-plate for cover ing the opening in the plug, and a spring forholding the dirt-plate in place, as set forth.

2. In heel skate-fasteners, the plug B, con- 9 5 strueted in circularform, with a screw-thread upon its exterior, substantiallyas hereinshown and described.

ELIJAH S. (JOON.

Witnesses:

CLINTON F. GILBERT, RALPH T. SMITH.

